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Health

Health and healthcare are at the forefront of disability rights issues. In these pieces, you’ll find insights on topics ranging from insurance and the need for systemic change within medical institutions, to the importance of self-care for your physical and mental well-being.

A series of medical icons.

Hungry for Change: On Inaccessible, Exclusionary, and Discriminatory Care for Autistic People with Eating Disorders

Trigger warnings: eating disorders, racism/racist health disparities, mental health disparities; ableism, misogyny, gaslighting of Black women and Latinas with eating disorders, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, and oppressive barriers to care The link between autism and anorexia is an international conversation,…
Several ampoules with the COVID-19 vaccine.

As COVID-19 Vaccinations Continue, Disabled People are Once Again at the Back of the Line

My husband Leor and I have been in lockdown for a year now. Neither of us can risk getting COVID-19. I’m at high risk for being infected. I also could have serious complications or death from it due to underlying…
A menstrual pad, two tampons, and a menstrual cup against a bright blue background.

Is There Space for Disabled People in the Period Positive Movement?

Content note: menstruation As a disabled lesbian cisgender woman, taking birth control to prevent menstruation has made my life so much easier. When I first got my period as a teenager, my health was fairly stable and managing my period…
Homemade protective masks in floral patterns and pieces of cloth on a gray background.

What Do You Do When You Can’t Wear A Mask?

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. While much of the rest of the world is making its way back outside,…
White tablets spilling out of a transparent brown bottle against a blue background.

Medical Breakthroughs Are Deeply Complex for Disabled People

A source of hope for one person can be a hindrance to another. Most mainstream disability-related fundraisers focus on research. The goal is often to find a treatment and ultimately, a cure. The campaigns are typically led by non-disabled folks…
Mobile app icons of assorted telehealth providers from the App Store are seen on a smartphone.

As a Disabled Person, Expanded Access to Telehealth is One Result of the Pandemic That I Hope Will Continue

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. For as awful a toll as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacted on our medical system, telehealth has been a bright spot for…
Woman in a grocery store holding a basket in one hand and a product in the other hand, reading its label.

The FDA’s Relaxed Food Labeling Guidelines in Response to the Pandemic are Dangerous

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. If I hadn’t been born in the 20th century, I wouldn’t have survived infancy. Yet here we are, after decades of work…
A photo of a stethoscope on a table next to building blocks with medical icons like a stethoscope and hospital bed to indicate building blocks of healthcare.

We Cannot Neglect the Health Needs of Chronically Ill and Disabled People During the Pandemic

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. Please note this post only uses first names and some names have been changed…
The top of a traditional doctor's office standing weight scale

Using a Wheelchair Shouldn’t Mean I Have to Play “Guess My Weight” at the Doctor

Most people know not to lie to their doctors. Nobody wants to end up like the person in a medical drama on TV who withheld vital medical information and ends up dying because of something treatable. But what happens when…